Trash-to-treasure series kicks off looking at great inspiration

Jun. 19, 2014

Turning bits of scrap metal, wood and wire into fantastic garden art and decor is a hot hobby for many gardeners in east-central Wisconsin. Some do it for fun, others make a living by 'junking.' / Rob Zimmer/Post-Crescent Media PHOTOS

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When it comes to decorating yards and gardens, nothing is hotter at garden shows, farmers markets and craft shows than handcrafted garden art and accent pieces created from recycled or repurposed items.

In whatever medium, including wood, stone, glass, metal and more, handcrafted garden art — often referred to as “trash to treasure” — is a popular hobby for many local artists, crafters and gardeners.

My two-part series on trash-to-treasure garden art and decor kicks off this week with some great inspiration to kickstart a new hobby or build depth and richness to your love for creating or owning one-of-a-kind treasures.

A junker's dream

Gail Clearwater of Freedom is a self-proclaimed “junker.” Often referred to as the Queen of Junk by her friends, Clearwater, a master gardener, has created a spectacular array of garden art and decor elements, all using a variety of found items she or her friends and family have collected on their travels.

Clearwater never passes up a chance to pick up an old wooden door, dressers, barn board, glassware or any of a range of other items from area thrift stores, garage sales, even items placed along the side of the road for trash collection.

Whether she’s working with costume jewelry, old windows and picture frames, watering cans, washtubs, wire, tin or glass, Clearwater’s hobby of beautifying her yard and garden with repurposed items has become a fun and challenging obsession.

Clearwater’s many trash-to-treasure projects range from small to massive and all represent her love and passion for creating beauty from old, discarded items.

Vintage style

A visit to Echota Gardens in De Pere is like visiting an outdoor antique mall with the added bling of colorful blooming and succulent plants.

Owner Chris Landwehr makes regular trips across the state in search of just the right elements to fit in with his vintage garden art theme.

On a recent trip to western Wisconsin, Landwehr returned with a trailer full of vintage wood and metal treasures, including gates, bed frames, milk cans (which he said are hot sellers) and more. Pieces like this may be a century old or more and Landwehr, along with his staff of designers, enjoy giving them new life in the form of beautiful garden art.

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Located at the top of a towering bluff along the shore of the Fox River near De Pere, Echota Gardens is a spring and early summer seasonal destination, open until June 30 each year. For more information, visit www.echotagardens.com.

Part garden center, part antique shop, part farm, Echota Gardens has a bit of something for everyone, specializing in turning vintage items from the past into repurposed treasures that take on a whole new life. The whole family will enjoy a visit to the gardens, with chickens, horses, cows and other animals to see, as well as a sweeping view of the river.

In the greenhouse, you’ll be amazed by the stunning plantings and displays created from just about anything that will hold dirt, including old enamelware pots and pans, high heel shoes, cowboy boots, tea kettles and so much more.

Torch lady

Lynn Hearley of Oconto has made quite a name for herself as the Iron Maiden, creating stunning and original works of art out of scrap metal and other repurposed items.

Hearley, who owns Iron Maiden Metal Art in Oconto, regularly make trips to junkyards, scrap metal yards and other locations with her family seeking just the right elements from which to create her many creative and often elegant pieces of garden art.

Hearley’s specialty are the decorative touches she applies to discarded or scrap metal using her steady hand, creative spirit and handy plasma torch. She is incredibly talented and artistic with the torch cutter, said husband Todd, who is quite proud of his wife’s new talent.

“Her love for this and her passion for it is repairing her soul,” he said, explaining that Hearley had a successful but less rewarding career in real estate that left her yearning to find a way to truly express herself and her artistic nature.

Not stopping with plasma cutting, Hearley also is skilled as a welder, advancing her hobby far beyond what is often seen among crafters in the area.